Dog Driven: adventure fiction
“McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness—a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run.
Winning would mean getting her disease—and her sister’s—national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.
A page-turning adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl’s self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others.” ~quote provided by publisher
The Hacker’s Key: adventure fiction
“Ada Genet’s father, Remy Genet, was one of the most infamous criminals in the world, specializing in infiltration, theft, and cybercrime. As far back as she can remember, Ada had been his accomplice. She helped him steal secrets from governments, weapons from terrorists, and money from just about everyone. But when the law finally caught up with them, Remy ended up in prison — and Ada at a military boarding school, as a ward of the US Government. Now something called the Hacker’s Key has been stolen from a secret UN installation. The Key could supposedly shut down every computer, smartphone, and internet-connected device simultaneously, causing mass chaos around the world. A Techno-Doomsday. A clue left behind at the scene points to Ada’s father, but he’s been in prison the whole time. Then Remy springs one last surprise. He’ll speak, but only to one person — his daughter, Ada.” ~quote provided by publisher
I Must Betray You: historical fiction/young Adult
The latest book, I Must Betray You, by Ruta Septys is out. In this historical fiction novel, an aspiring young Romanian writer, Cristian Florescu, is commanded by the Romanian government to spy on an American family who live at the embassy. Being asked to spy on people isn’t new. In Romania, Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu has the secret police routinely force neighbor to spy against neighbor to ensure that civilians are obeying the rules.
Everyone lives in fear of the smallest infraction. However, Cristian doesn’t want to be a spy, and as his eyes are opened to what is happening to his people and the destruction the government has on his family. Together, his people can overthrow the government. As one, they can reclaim their lives, but at what cost?
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
“Merci Suárez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, as strong and thoughtful as Merci is, she has never been completely like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren’t going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. And Merci is left to her own worries, because no one in her family will tell her what’s going on. Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal, this coming-of-age tale by New York Times best-selling author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.” ~quote provided by publisher
The Mighty Miss Malone: historical fiction
“We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful” is the motto of Deza Malone’s family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But it’s 1936 and the Great Depression has hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother, Jimmie, go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie’s beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.” ~quote provided by publisher
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
“With a foreword by Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee. Ruth Gruener was a hidden child during the Holocaust. At the end of the war, she and her parents were overjoyed to be free. But their struggles as displaced people had just begun. In war-ravaged Europe, they waited for paperwork for a chance to come to America. Once they arrived in Brooklyn, they began to build a new life, but spoke little English. Ruth started at a new school and tried to make friends — but continued to fight nightmares and flashbacks of her time during World War II. The family’s perseverance is a classic story of the American dream, but also illustrates the difficulties that millions of immigrants face in the aftermath of trauma. This is a gripping and human account of a survivor’s journey forward with timely connections to refugee and immigrant experiences worldwide today.” ~quote provided by publisher
A Wish in the Dark: fantasy
A 2021 Newbery Honor Book
“A boy on the run. A girl determined to find him. A compelling fantasy looks at issues of privilege, protest, and justice.
All light in Chattana is created by one man — the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong’s prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free.
Nok, the prison warden’s perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family’s good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear. Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat’s twist on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is a dazzling, fast-paced adventure that explores the difference between law and justice — and asks whether one child can shine a light in the dark.” ~quote provided by publisher
A World Below: adventure fiction
“Mr. Baker’s eighth grade class thought they were in for a normal field trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. But when an earthquake hits, their field trip takes a terrifying turn. The students are plunged into an underground lake…and their teacher goes missing.
They have no choice but to try and make their way back above ground, even though no one can agree on the best course of action. The darkness brings out everyone’s true self. Supplies dwindle and tensions mount. Pretty and popular Silvia does everything she can to hide her panic attacks, even as she tries to step up and be a leader. But the longer she’s underground, the more frequent and debilitating they become. Meanwhile, Eric has always been a social no one, preferring to sit at the back of the class and spend evenings alone. Now, he finds himself separated from his class, totally by himself underground. That is, until he meets an unexpected stranger.
Told from three different points of view, this fast-paced adventure novel explores how group dynamics change under dire circumstances. Do the students of Mr. Baker’s class really know each other at all? Or do they just think they do? It turns out, it’s hard to hide in the dark.” ~quote provided by publisher
